Consistency, ingenuity, longevity and boundless creativity: These are the traits that top jazz musicians aspire to bring to every performance. And no living musician embodies those values better than the Saxophone Colossus, jazz legend Sonny Rollins.

Rollins, 80, has been playing sax since he was 7. “That feeling that I had then is still here with me today,” he says. “I still enjoy and get into that musical sphere with the same excitement and happiness and joy that I did when I was 7.”

Rollins will perform at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark tomorrow. Although he grew up in the famous Sugar Hill neighborhood of Harlem, he credits Newark’s nightclub scene for nurturing his talent.

“There was a vibe in Newark that I enjoyed,” he says. “Any time I play (in Newark), I have roots (there), so that’s always a good feeling.

“There was a club scene over in Newark, and when I began playing as a professional, I began to get jobs over in Newark. Newark was a place that had a lot of jazz activity and a lot of culture going on.”

Another important Newark connection, bebop singer Babs Gonzales, was an early mentor; Rollins was only 19 when he made his recording debut, backing Gonzales.

Even as his body ages, Rollins prides himself on maintaining a childlike perspective on his music. He attributes his decades of success to an unfailing practice regimen.

“It’s definitely a natural gift that I got,” he says. “I still practice every day. I love practicing and I love being with this music.”

Every show, he says, represents “a tremendous opportunity to do what I’m practicing on the stage.”

This fall, he plans to release a CD of concert highlights from the past few years: “Road Shows, Vol. 2.” It will include at least one track from his 80th-birthday concert at the Beacon Theatre in New York in September, when he was joined by fellow jazz saxophone pioneer Ornette Coleman.

Although the two never recorded together previously, their friendship goes back several decades.

“I met Ornette when I first went to California in 1957. We used out to play out there by the Pacific Ocean; we’d have our saxophones and be blowing,” says Rollins.

“I had asked Ornette if he would come (to the Beacon), but I had no idea if he would show up. But the day before, Ornette said he wanted to come, and I’m glad that he came.”

Although no similar cameos are expected for his Newark show, Rollins will bring plenty of jazz star power to the stage all by himself, thanks to his enviable perseverance.

“It’s harder to do things physically,” he says. “But that’s no big deal because I feel the same way musically.”